Jury verdicts for plaintiffs increase in average size - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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million from the 116 plaintiffs’ awards, accordinvg to the . Although the percentage of verdicts awardedr to plaintiffs was about the same as in previouxyears — 53 percenrt in 2008, 48 percent in 2007, 50 percent in 2006 and 52 perceny in 2005 — the amount has continued to grow. Although the averagse size of 2008 jury verdicts was buoyes by a fewlarge awards, they have grownb in consecutive years from $688,337 in 2006 to $1.3 million in 2007 and $1.8 millionb in 2008. Last year saw 24 verdict s of $1 million or more, compared with 20 in 2007 and 14in 2006. Here are the top 10 jury verdictaof 2008, according to the Greater Kansax City Jury Verdict Service: 1. $104.
1 million in a class-actionb suit against , , and for violating Missouri’ds Second Mortgage Loan Act. Represented by R. Frederick Walters, Kip David Skeens, J. Michael Vaughan and Garrett Hodes of inKansaws City, the plaintiffs claimed that the defendantes charged unauthorized and illegal fees and interest on second mortgages purchased from 2. $16.88 million in a breach of contrac claim againstA class-action suit was filedx against AT&T, and Network Services Inc. alleginbg they conspired to fix prices and overchargre customers Universal ServiceFund fees. MCI declaredf bankruptcy, and Sprint settled in A $400 million conspiracuy claim was denied, but breac of contract was won.
Plaintiffs were represented by lawyersfrom ’as Dallas and Los Angeles offices; in Albuquerque, N.M.; in and in Liberal, Kan. 3. $16 milliojn for a violation of federal constitutional rights againsft Richard andTina McKinley. Theodore White Jr. speng five and a half years in prisoj after being accused of sexuallyy molestinghis stepdaughter. White claimed that during the his then-wife, Tina McKinley, and a detectivde on the case were having an affair that was kept a secrert and that the detective neglected to seizd a diary from his stepdaughter that containeds information that would have cleared White of the charges.
Representing Whited were Brian McCallister, Cyndy Short and Christopher Lawler of the in Kansas in Chicago; and in Aurora, Mo. 4. $14 million in a liabilithy complaintagainst , , and James and Conniee Nickles. Chad Stockbauer was intoxicatesd when he dove intoan above-ground, 3-foot-tall pool in the back yard, fracturing his neck. The plaintiff, representedd by Louis Accurso, Burton Haigh and Ann Wright of inKansase City, claimed defective design and failure to warn that the pool was too Stockbauer was found 96 percent at fault. Net recoverhy was $560,000. Defendents’ attorneys included John Cowden of and Jamesz Morrow of inKansas City. 5.
$12 milliojn in a wrongful death suit against John Teubet was killed after a truck driven by an employedeof , an independent contractor of Vance, ran a red lightf and hit Teuber’s vehicle. The truckk was carrying 18 tons of asphalr and found to have faulty The driver pled guilty toinvoluntargy manslaughter. Plaintiff’s lawyers included Michael Brett Davis and Scottt McCreight of inKansas 6. $11.9 for defective repair, nuisance and trespas s againstand . The city of Mo., claimed that the defendants made unauthorized streeft repairs and that their trucks were not authorized to use residential streets for transportf of limestoneand rock.
Plaintiff’s attorneys were Steve Mauer, Megan Redmond and Heather Esau Zergerof . 7. $7.1 milliohn for breach of contracr and fraudulent and negligenft misrepresentation against Patrick Stuev e and Eric Dirks of arguedthat A.G. Edwards loaded software on unlicensed computerds and offered the reports generated by the softwarer tounlicensed brokers. 8. $4.95 milliom for tortuous interference and defamationmagainst , , , and .